diff --git a/cmd/gen-docs/main.go b/cmd/gen-docs/main.go
index 4a0bff26b..bfd4a12d0 100644
--- a/cmd/gen-docs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gen-docs/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/docs"
@@ -13,27 +14,30 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	var flagError pflag.ErrorHandling
-	docCmd := pflag.NewFlagSet("", flagError)
-	manPage := docCmd.BoolP("man-page", "", false, "Generate manual pages")
-	website := docCmd.BoolP("website", "", false, "Generate website pages")
-	dir := docCmd.StringP("doc-path", "", "", "Path directory where you want generate doc files")
-	help := docCmd.BoolP("help", "h", false, "Help about any command")
-
-	if err := docCmd.Parse(os.Args); err != nil {
+	if err := run(os.Args); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+}
+
+func run(args []string) error {
+	flags := pflag.NewFlagSet("", pflag.ContinueOnError)
+	manPage := flags.BoolP("man-page", "", false, "Generate manual pages")
+	website := flags.BoolP("website", "", false, "Generate website pages")
+	dir := flags.StringP("doc-path", "", "", "Path directory where you want generate doc files")
+	help := flags.BoolP("help", "h", false, "Help about any command")
+
+	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	if *help {
-		_, err := fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Usage of %s:\n\n%s", os.Args[0], docCmd.FlagUsages())
-		if err != nil {
-			fatal(err)
-		}
-		os.Exit(1)
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Usage of %s:\n\n%s", filepath.Base(args[0]), flags.FlagUsages())
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	if *dir == "" {
-		fatal("no dir set")
+		return fmt.Errorf("error: --doc-path not set")
 	}
 
 	io, _, _, _ := iostreams.Test()
@@ -43,15 +47,13 @@ func main() {
 	}, "", "")
 	rootCmd.InitDefaultHelpCmd()
 
-	err := os.MkdirAll(*dir, 0755)
-	if err != nil {
-		fatal(err)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(*dir, 0755); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if *website {
-		err = docs.GenMarkdownTreeCustom(rootCmd, *dir, filePrepender, linkHandler)
-		if err != nil {
-			fatal(err)
+		if err := docs.GenMarkdownTreeCustom(rootCmd, *dir, filePrepender, linkHandler); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -62,11 +64,12 @@ func main() {
 			Source:  "",
 			Manual:  "",
 		}
-		err = docs.GenManTree(rootCmd, header, *dir)
-		if err != nil {
-			fatal(err)
+		if err := docs.GenManTree(rootCmd, header, *dir); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func filePrepender(filename string) string {
@@ -82,11 +85,6 @@ func linkHandler(name string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("./%s", strings.TrimSuffix(name, ".md"))
 }
 
-func fatal(msg interface{}) {
-	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, msg)
-	os.Exit(1)
-}
-
 type browser struct{}
 
 func (b *browser) Browse(url string) error {
diff --git a/cmd/gen-docs/main_test.go b/cmd/gen-docs/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c69ff6b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/gen-docs/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func Test_run(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	args := []string{"--man-page", "--website", "--doc-path", dir}
+	err := run(args)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("got error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	manPage, err := ioutil.ReadFile(dir + "/gh-issue-create.1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error reading `gh-issue-create.1`: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(manPage), `\fBgh issue create`) {
+		t.Fatal("man page corrupted")
+	}
+
+	markdownPage, err := ioutil.ReadFile(dir + "/gh_issue_create.md")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error reading `gh_issue_create.md`: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(markdownPage), `## gh issue create`) {
+		t.Fatal("markdown page corrupted")
+	}
+}